CATHEDRALS"In some churches of the world the particular church building containing the cathedra, or chair of the bishop, is called a cathedral. Since these houses of worship have normally been the largest, most ornate, and by far the most costly of all places of religious assembly, it has become common in the sectarian world to refer to all large and important church buildings as cathedrals. The Latter-day Saints, however, do not build cathedrals; indeed, the erection and inordinate adorning of expensive and elaborate meeting houses for church worship is one of the signs of the great apostasy. (Morm. 8:37.)

The earliest followers of Jesus, being Jews, met in synagogues as Jesus had. They would not have met in the Temple. Only High Priests could enter the inner sanctums of the temple. The temple was a place where sacrifices were brought, it wasn't a place regular, routine worship by the rank and file.

Christians probably continued to meet in synagogues until too many gentiles joined and they were discouraged from attending unless they converted to Judaism, which isn't what they were looking for. Even before then however, Christians were meeting in each other homes, probably because a holy meal was part of the early remembrance ceremony of Christ.

Once Christianity became integrated into Greek and Roman culture, the major seats of the church were modeled after the Roman law courts, the basilica. And ever since the model of churches have followed that plan - a central aisle with seats on either side and a raised dais and the far end. Most Mormon churches don't have a central aisle. (That must have some dogmatic reason..)

I think Mormon temples have more in common with Greek Temples than with the Temple in Jerusalem. In particular, the Greek mystery religions are a pretty close match to the function and purpose of Mormon Temples.

Or Mormon temples might be modeled after Masonic temples. I toured a former Masonic temple which had richly decorated rooms, rife with symbols also common to Mormonism, that were obviously intended for varying purposes.

making plans for building that great and spacious new conference center? Or the meetings where they decided to invest the widow's mite on a shopping mall -- the ultimate temple of materialism?

I wonder when he rode up the elevator to his nice office in the COB skyscraper, if he ever felt a certain smug satisfaction knowing that cathedrals were really just dark, dank, musty and outdated...no elevators, no air-conditioning, dead people in the basement.

Now of course there is a massively expensive Churchco program to build ornate MacTemples all around the world--buildings that house the most ridiculous rituals imaginable and that are closed to the general public. Just because they're weird-looking doesn't mean that they're not "expensive and elaborate." A big hot tub resting on life-size statues of 12 oxen?

The Mormon church may not have temples, but it does have elaborately decorated temples.

The medieval cathedrals were much more than houses of worship (which anyone could and can enter.) They also functioned as community centers and were beehives of activity. Modern cathedrals also function in much the same way. Here is a list of some of the activities at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC:

Pastoral service, The Center for Pastoral Psychotherapy, children's workshops, a pre-K, a school, interfaith groups for teens, a soup kitchen, health screenings, a wardrobe center for those in need, advocacy for the poor, arts exhibitions, craft exhibitions, seasonal pet adoptions, a poets' corner, a poet in residence, visiting authors, concerts, and much more.

That is beautiful. It reminded me a litte of the Cathedral of the Madeleine in SLC. Then there is Notre Dame, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's, St. John Lateran, St. Peters Basilica, St. Peter in Chains,the Pantheon and so many more.Temples arent even close. They look more like fancy hotel lobbies